Folding receptacle.



F. W. HOWLAND.

FOLDING RECEPTACLE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 12. I994. RENEWED run: 14. 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- 7 I F. w. HOWLAND.

FOLDING RECEPTACLE. APPUCATION FILED OCT. 12. 1914. RENEWED JUNE 14.1917.

mmwwo Patenteai Jan. 15,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

raanx w. nowtenn, or cHrcAeo, ILLINOISS.

FOLDING BECEP'IACLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan.15,191.

Application filed October 12, 1914, eri l No. 866,252. Renewed June 14,1917. Serial No. 174,793.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK W. HOWLAND, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the countyof Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Folding Receptacles, of which the following is aspecification.

My present invention relates in general to folding receptacles and moreparticularly to folding crates adapted for the transference of livestock such as fowls or the like.

The principal objects of my present invention are the provision ofimproved means for supporting the side walls or retaining members of thereceptacle; the provision of means whereby the strain on the hingesemployed to connect the various parts of the receptacle together istransferred as far as can be to the side and end members of thereceptacle; the provision of a folding receptacle of maximum strengthwhich can be used an indefinite number of times; and generally toimprove and simplify the construction of folding receptacles or cratesespecially those to be used in shipping live stock, together with suchfurther objects as will hereinafter appear.

In attaining the foregoing objects and certain additional advantages tobe below disclosed, I have provided the construction illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein 7 Figure l is a perspective view of thecrate in its extended or expanded form;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the crate when collapsed;

Fig. 3 is a. longitudinal vertical section through the expanded crate;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the crate on the plane 44 of Fig. 3; and

Fi 5 is a sectional view of the crate on the llne 5 -5 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings the crate consists of a top member 10, abottom member 11, and end members 12 and 13. These four members are allconnected at their adjacent edges by means of hinges 14 and 15respectively. It will be observed (see Fig. 3) that the hinges 14arranged at opposite corners of the crate are arranged outside of themembers to which they are attached, while the hinges 15 at theintermediate corners of the crate are arranged inside the members. Theobject of this arrangement is to enable the edges of the top and bottommembers to overlap the edges of the end mem bers and therefore receivesupport therefrom without interfering with the folding of the crate whennecessary. Thus the hinges 14 are arranged at the edges where the innerangle between the adjacent members is increased when the receptacle isfolded and the hinges 15 are arranged at the edges where this angle isdecreased. It will be evident that with the arrangement shown when thecrate is folded, the folding action will increase the space between theadjacent edges of the members at both the hinges 14 and 15 instead ofdecreasing it which is exactly what is desired. As a result of thisarrangement, the crate is formed so that the ends lie entirely withinthe edges of the upper and lower parts of the crate, and similarly, theside members lie entirely within the edges of not only the upper andlower parts, but also the ends of the crate as well so that the strainon the hinges is taken largely by the side and end members as well.

The side members 16 of the receptacle are attached to the upper memberby means of hinges 17 which are arranged on the outside of the membersin question in order to allow the sides to be folded outward and thenbackward onto the top of the crate when it is desired to collapse thelatter.

It will be seen that as the side members lie within the edges of theother four members that they. effectually prevent the collapsing of thecrate so long as such members are retained in position. Their positionis secured by clamping the lower edge of each of the side members to thebottom member 11 of the crate so that these two adjacent edges cannotseparate either vertically or horizontally. Vertical movement isprevented by extending the straps or cross members 18 so as to formhooks 19 which engage the edge of the bottom member 11. Horizontalmovement of the lower edge of the side members is prevented by means ofwire catches 20, arranged at each end and also centrally of the sidemember. These wires are pivotally attached to plates 21 fixed to thebottom member in such a way that the wire can be turned so as to be outof, engagement with the side member when it is desired to collapse thecrate. lVhen these wires are moved into the position shown in Fig. 1,they securely prevent outward movement of the edge of the side member16. The wires 20 are held in their engaging positions by means ofwedgeshaped projections 23. Inward movement of the same edge is, ofcourse, prevented by the hooked ends 19 of the straps 18. To furtherstrengthen this part of the receptacle the lower edges 22 of each of theside members 16 preferably consist of an irolr strip.

If desired a hinged partition 28 may be provided attached to the topmember of the crate by means of a hinge 29. This partition consists of aseries of vertical slats connected top and bottom by transverse ironstrips 80 and 31 respectively. V

lVith regard to the particular form of construction adopted, attentionshould be called to the fact that the longitudinal slats of the top,side and end members are preferably made of wood, while the transverseand vertical parts 24-, 18, 25, 16 and27 preferably consist of stripiron.

The bottom is preferably made either of a single piece of wood or elseof slats with their edges adjoining instead of an open slatconstruction. Transverse metal sup-i porting or strengthening strips 2eare employed. It will be seen that these strips are so arranged that theouter edges of each end of the crate are all protected by means of suchan iron strip.

The non strips are attached to the wooden slats by means of bolts havingslotted heads.

for engagement with a screw driver on the iron strip side and nuts onthe other side. This gives an extremely strong construction. The hingesare attached to the members in exactly the same way.

To further strengthen the top of the crate iron strips (Fig. 3) arearranged under neath on the under side of the wooden slats verticallybeneath the strips 24: arranged above the latter.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use what Iclaimis new and I desire to secure by Letters Patent.

1. A folding receptacle comprising four retaining members,.hingesconnecting the said members at four parallel edges thereof,

attached to one of the said four members,

and positive means for preventing said out- .folding retaining memberspivotally attached to one of the said four members and each adapted toengage at its periphery with the other four retaining members.

i. A folding receptacle comprising top and bottom horizontal members,end members arranged between the edges of said top and bottom membersand pivotally attached thereto, and side members pivotally attached tosaid horizontal membershand adapted to lie within the edges of said tobottom and endmembers.

A folding receptacle comprising top and bottom horizontal members, endmembers arranged between the edges; of said top and bottom members andpivotally attached thereto, and outwardlyfolding side members pivotallyattached to said horizontal members and adapted to lie within the edgesof said top, bottom and end members, and positive means for preventingthe edges of the said side retaining members separating eithervertically or horizontally from the edges of the retaining membersopposite the member to which said side members are pivotally attached.

6. A folding receptacle comprising and bottom horizontal members, endmemtop bers arranged between the edges of said top and bottom membersand pivotally attached thereto, and outwardly folding side memberspivotally attached to said horizontal members and adapted to lie withinthe edges of said top, bottom and end'members, and

positive means for preventing the edges of the said side retainingmembers separating either vertically or horizontally from the edges oftheir adjacent retaining members.

7. A folding receptacle comprising top and bottom, horizontal members,end members between the edges of said top and bottom members andpivotally attached thereto, and outwardly folding side members eachpivotally attached to one of said horizontal members, and releasablemeans adapted to positively prevent theoutwardly folding memberaccidentally moving outward.

S. A folding receptacle comprising top and bottom, horizontal members,end members between the edges ofsaid top and bots tom members andpivotally attached thereto, and outwardly folding side members each 7pivotally attached. to one of said horizontal members, and a hookedmember on each side member adapted to engagev the edge and outer face ofthe retaining member opposite to the member to which the side member ispivotally attached.

9. A folding receptacle comprising top and bottom horizontal members,end members between the edges of said top and bottom members andpivotally attached thereto, and outwardly folding side members eachpivotally attached to one of said hori zontal members, and releasablemeans for positively preventing said outwardly f0ld ing membersaccidentally separating either horizontally or vertically.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence ofthe two subscribed witnesses.

FRANK W. HOVVLAND.

Witnesses:

DONALD G. lVILLIAMs, PAUL CARPENTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

